Consultant Finance (Management Services oversight)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

29 November 2024-23:59-GMT+01:00 West Africa Standard Time (Brazzaville)

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP’s values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP? 

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.

• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.

• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.

• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

The WFP Country Office in the Republic of Congo (ROC) seeks a qualified Finance Officer to:
• Manage the stewardship of WFP’s resources through monitoring financial and accounting data, analyzing, and reporting and providing technical advice to enable effective management of funds, and ensure assistance to beneficiaries is undertaken in the most efficient and effective way possible; and
• Lead the delivery of quality, customer-focused, value for money administrative services that enable staff in country/location operations to deliver food assistance to beneficiaries, in line with WFP’s strategy.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

FINANCE OFFICER (Consultant II)

CONGO BRAZZAVILLE

Background

The WFP Country Office in the Republic of Congo (ROC) seeks a qualified Finance Officer to:

• Manage the stewardship of WFP’s resources through monitoring financial and accounting data, analyzing, and reporting and providing technical advice to enable effective management of funds, and ensure assistance to beneficiaries is undertaken in the most efficient and effective way possible; and

• Lead the delivery of quality, customer-focused, value for money administrative services that enable staff in country/location operations to deliver food assistance to beneficiaries, in line with WFP’s strategy.

Role and Responsibilities

The incumbent will report to the CD and is expected to carry out the following responsibilities:

FINANCE FUNCTION

Apply WFP corporate -Financial management strategies to ROC operations. Participate in key programmatic initiatives and collaborate with other functions in the CO in embedding value for money in these initiatives through advice on financial assessment, reporting and accounting.

Carry out regular visits to Area/Field Offices as appropriate and assist in clarifying and improving proper application of policies and procedures and prepare comprehensive reports on findings with improvement action plans.

Lead on the delivery of accurate financial reporting and analyses in accordance with IPSAS, ensuring accuracy, deadlines and compliance with accounting processes and corporate governance requirements.

Provide financial assessment of partners, financial service providers such as Financial Conduct Authority, due diligence, and other entities as needed, providing conclusions to management to enable them to make informed decisions and minimize financial risk to the organization. Perform health and spot checks of Cooperating Partners.

Ensure that bank reconciliation, disbursements, clearance of receivables, overall cash management and monthly financial closures are performed regularly and in accordance with corporate requirements. Issue monthly financial report to CO management.

Monitor and analyze financial and accounting data, identifying, and forecasting trends, anomalies, or issues, and proposing solutions to management with regards to status of budgets, availability of funds, programme effectiveness and financial viability.

Lead a team of finance staff, establishing priorities and work plans, monitoring progress, and providing coaching, training, and guidance to ensure appropriate development and enable high performance.

Ensure regular meetings with banks, financial services providers and other partners or entities as may be required.  Represent Finance in internal committees such on Contracts Committee, Assets as well as Staff-related.

Contribute to preparedness actions such as early warning, risk analysis and contingency planning and make recommendations. Participate and actively contribute to Audit and Compliance-related reviews and responses. Periodically monitor the management of risks and report on any action taken.

Support ROC Country Office and field offices on the implementation of CBT interventions, and compliance with WFP standard procedures and processes. 

Support and guide the ROC Country Office on financial sectorial assessments. 

Support comprehensive CBT related risks analysis of operations, providing conclusions to management to enable them to make informed decisions and minimize financial risk exposure to the organization. 

MANAGEMENT SERVICES FUNCTION

Ensure effective and efficient delivery of admin-related functions such as:

Supervision of Management services staff and facilitate the compliance of the services provided (e.g., WFP managed facilities, assets, and travel management, etc.) with the corporate Occupational Safety and Health Policy and provide recommendations to the management on any improvements/changes, when required.

Implement the corporate Environmental Management System and initiate Environmental Sustainability projects with support from the regional bureau.  Participate to the design and implementation of the UN Reform efficiency agenda and its pillars on Business Operations Strategy (BOS), Local Shared Service Center/Common Back Office (LSSC/ CBO), Common Premises (CP), Global Shared Service Centre Manage office space occupancy and drive the hybrid working model.

Develop annual plans, contribute to longer term strategies and improvements to policies, systems, and procedures to ensure services provided support WFP strategic objectives and follow corporate regulations, rules, policies, and procedures.

Contribute to preparedness actions such as risk analysis, and contingency planning, monitoring the management of risks and reporting on actions taken.

Work with the Regional Bureau for Southern Africa (RBJ) and WFP Rome Headquarters on various Management Services function automation initiatives.

Develop reports as managerial tools and foundation for planning and decision making.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Advanced University degree in Finance, Business Administration, Accounting or related fields, or First University degree in the same subject(s) with additional years of related work experience plus membership in an international recognized professional accountancy body such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Institute of Certified Public Accounts (ICPA) or equivalent. Experience: The incumbent should have at least six years of postgraduate professional experience as Finance Officer. Prior experience in handling Management services functions would be a plus.

Other requirements: Strong sense of integrity and ethics required.

 Language: Proficiency in oral and written communication in French and English.

Terms and Conditions:

• Contract Duration: 11 months (initial)

• Duty Station: Brazzaville – ROC

• Closing date: 30th of November 2024

Application Instructions:

 Interested and qualified candidates are requested to submit online applications through E-Recruitment.

Applications that do not meet the above requirements will be disregarded. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

 

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

 

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

 

WFP is dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our recruitment process is inclusively crafted to welcome candidates of all backgrounds, celebrating diversity and ensuring a respectful environment for all. We aim for an accessible and fair recruitment journey. Should you need any reasonable accommodations or have accessibility concerns, please reach out to us confidentially at [email protected]. Our DEI team is here to ensure your full participation in our recruitment process.

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

 

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

 

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).

• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language

• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter

• Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time

• Please contact us at [email protected] in case you face any challenges with submitting your application

• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.